


Damage Control

by Rainy_Summer



Series: Tales of Kings [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Implied Mpreg, Implied Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-11-28 08:09:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20963276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainy_Summer/pseuds/Rainy_Summer
Summary: Haechan, for the lack of a better word, was a replacement. When Prince Taeyong, the first omega prince of Polaria broke off his engagement to the Alpha Prince of Icaria, Crown Prince Mark, Haechan was left with no choice but to take his brother's place to prevent a war from starting. It was not supposed to be a problem, he would be marrying the man he had secretly loved for so long. Mark had promised him that soon, maybe, he would love him as much as he loved Taeyong. Unfortunetely, the "soon" never came, and would probably come at all.





	1. Chapter 1

According to legends, Icaria had once been a floating island. It had been so high up in the sky that the Icarians themselves had met and spoken with the gods and goddesses in heaven. It had been favored by the deities among all the lands, hence, it was once called, paradise. 

The story of how it was now on it's place on earth among the other lands was a sad tale of forbidden love. 

One Icarian had fallen in love with a goddess, so in love that he had not been contented with looking at her and loving her from afar. He had wanted to be with her, to hold her, to kiss her. But she had been so out of reach. 

But love was a strange feeling, it could make you do the strangest and bravest things, the stupidest things. 

The Icarian lover, along with the people who had believed that true love must always prevail, had built a tower: a tower so high, it could reach the heaven above. It had taken years, a decade, perhaps. Finally, after all the waiting, after all the hard works, the tower had been finished. And just when the Icarian mortal had been at the peak of the tower, his beloved goddess within reach, The God of Fate and Destiny had appeared.

With one hand, the god pushed Icaria down until it reached the surface of the Earth because a mortal and an immortal should not be together. Since then, the Icarian never saw his beloved, ever again. 

The moral of the story was very simple. Do not seek what you couldn't have. Do not take what wasn't meant for you. Be contented with loving from afar. You would be punished. You would get hurt. 

True or not, it was one of Haechan's most favorite stories, and the peak of the tower Ero, the famous tower in the story, was his favorite spot among the all the places in the Kingdom of Icaria.

It was still fairly high, he could almost touch the clouds, but the prospect of seeing and communicating with the gods was impossible. 

Yet, it did not sway Haechan from seeking comfort into the tower. It was, after all, the symbol of patient, strong and genuine yet unattainable love. 

It was exactly what Haechan had. 

The tower was the only place in Icaria where felt he belonged. If it was not for a mistake, if love could even be considered as a mistake, Haechan would still probably be freezing in Polaria, waiting for the day when a lord would be blind enough to be attracted to him, or for when his father would arrange him to be married in another land as a token of alliance. 

Icaria was not his place. It was supposed to be Taeyong's. His brother was the first omega child of the royal family of Polaria. He was the child promised to be married off to the Crowned Prince of Icaria, an arrangement that was created to stabilize and strengthen the alliance of the two country. 

Prince Taeyong, according to what people said, was the embodiment of perfection. He was, the most beautiful omega to ever walk on the face of Earth. A god mistakenly born among mortals. 

With skin almost as white as the snow covering the Entire Polaria, eyes blue, almost purple like the night sky, and hair soft and platinum blonde, the hair color exclusively attributed to the Royal family of Polaria, Taeyong was a true winter child. Indeed, he was the most beautiful one. 

His brother had been the subject of many songs and poetries about love, about beauty and about perfection. News that a child of god himself had been born to the royal family had travelled outside their land. Rumors about a prince who was kissed and blessed by the goddess of beauty were scattered by the wind. It was not surprising that Alpha lords and ladies around the world had sailed to Polaria to ask Taeyong's hand in marriage. 

Taeyong had paid them no mind. He had a promise to fulfill, after all. 

But perhaps, his brother was not as perfect as people thought him to be. Maybe, the gods and goddesses themselves were appalled by people placing him on par with them, and to some extent worshipping him, that they struck him with a very powerful weapon, the arrow of love. 

Word of honor was forgotten; duty was set aside; dignity was damned. Taeyong, the perfect omega prince of Polaria, had ran away with another man, Prince Jaehyun of Io. 

His brother would have gone down in history as the unfaithful lover who brought war upon three countries, but his fate, and maybe those of the three countries as well, was entrusted in Haechan's hand. 

Ironically, among the royal families children, Haechan had been the least favorite. He had been thought to be the least important. He had always been neglected and forgotten. Yet, because of his brother's action, he had been given the most important duty. He had to secure the alliance and prevent a war from happening.

To put it simple, according to his King father's exact words, he had to do damage control. He had to become the replacement, Taeyong's replacement.

In Haechan's mind, he knew that he would be a very unlikely replacement to Taeyong. Fool's gold. Cheap imitation. 

While Taeyong was the embodiment of true winter child, Haechan was the opposite. 

Tan skin, round nose, dark hair, brown eyes, nothing special. Or, to be exact, by Polarian standard, unattractive. Very unlikely for a royal child. Perhaps that was why his mother, the queen, had never looked his way.

The prince who could pass off as a commoner. 

Such a shame, he presented as an omega.

No one would ever want him. 

But the King had no choice. His only other child was Jeno, Haechan's twin, who, although almost as beautiful as Taeyong, was an Alpha, and therefore the Crowned Prince. He was destined to rule Polaria. The King had only hoped that the Crowned Prince would be merciful enough to accept the only other option.

And, so, along with the finest treasures of Polaria, Haechan had been sent to Icaria. He had been garbed in Taeyong's most beautiful robe. He had been adorned with the finest ornaments of the queen. His face had been painted with makeup that drastically made his complexion fairer, in his opinion, he had looked even more ridiculous, but the servants had probably mean well. 

The people of Polaria had prayed that The Crowned Prince would be as smitten as he had been with Prince Taeyong. 

They knew however, they were praying for a miracle. 

When they had reached Polaria, Haechan had been welcomed not by the Crowned Prince himself, but by the Regent, Taeil. It had been him who delivered the message that the prince accepted the proposition and thus, accepted him to be his husband. 

Later on, he found out that it had probably been due to their increasing tension with the country of Pandor, the nation who wanted to take over the entire world. The country of Icaria could not afford to lose both Io and Polaria, their long time allies, in case a full on battle would ensue. 

Pride, anger and jealousy had to be set aside. Duty must overrule love. Duty always overrule everything. The future king of Icaria had no other choice but to compromise. 

Being married out of duty was something Haechan had long prepared for. He was a prince, maybe not a very important one, not as valued, but still a prince. It was bound to happen. 

But being married to someone you love who does not love you back still hurts, and the pain, the pain was worst that the sharp, pointed ice of Polaria, piercing your skin.

Yes, he was in love. He was for a very long time, in love with Prince Mark. 

Long before he became the crowned prince.

Long before he presented as an alpha. 

Long before the prince himself fell in love with his brother. 

He loved him when he first set foot in Polaria, fox coat too big for his small childhood frame. 

He loved him when he spoke the four words to Haechan, "Let us play together", as no one else aside from Jeno, wanted to play with an ugly prince like him. 

He loved him when he made promises to show him the garden of sunflowers in Icaria because Haechan had never seen one. 

He loved him even when it was made official that Taeyong is for Mark and Mark is for Taeyong. 

He loved him still, even as he watched him fall madly in love with his brother. 

After years wishful praying that Mark would not present as an alpha, that Taeyong would not present as an omega, that a divine intervention would happen and change the stars, make Mark destined for him, make Mark fall in love with him, Haechan had finally came into terms that he was praying in vain. But then, the Gods had decided to give him an even worse fate. 

To be married, but not loved. To be near but far. To be kissed but not desired. 

Maybe it was his punishment for asking too much, for wanting to what was not for him. To be given what you prayed for and still not be happy, Haechan had prepared himself for a lifetime of misery. 

Yet, a slip of a tongue, his heat had to be blamed, heat and years of hiding, of keeping, of longing. He had lost control. Those three words, he should have not have spoken. Five more. He knew he should have stopped. 

"I love you. "  
"I have always loved you. "

If only Mark had rejected him then and there. He had not. Eight words were spoken. 

"I will fall in love with you soon."

Hope. Hope was sweet the first time. Sour as it gets old. Bitter as it was dying. 

Two years had past. Soon was not now. Soon was not tomorrow. Soon would never come. 

Because he was not Taeyong. He was not fair skinned Taeyong. He was not beautiful Taeyong.

He could try and build a tower as tall as Icaria, but he would never be Taeyong. 

He stepped closer and closer towards the edge. He wondered if he could tempt the Gods to pushed him down, like what they did to Icaria, to show him he should stop wanting someone who was never meant for him. 

He wondered of he should fall down on his own. To wake up from his own delusions. 

Maybe he could. 

Maybe he should. 

Maybe the wind would help him. 

He closed his eyes and take a few more steps to edge. 

He was falling. Slowly. So slow that he felt like he was floating. 

"It's not your time yet, love. You cannot give up now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to avoid confusion, Mark is now the King of Icaria, he has been for two years, right after marrying Haechan. Taeil was the regent because Mark was still too young to sit on the throne, in this AU, you have to be at least twenty-one to be a King. That was Mark's age when he was supposed to marry Taeyong but ended up with Haechan instead. The rest of the chapters will be 2 years after their marriage.
> 
> Thank you for the kudos and the comments! I have deleted this fic and rewritten it for three times because I was not satisfied with it. I'm so happy that some people like this.

"Wake up. Please," Haechan stirred after hearing a familiar voice speaking to him. "Please, love, wake up. I do not know what I am going to do without you. Wake up."

He slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a couple of times more before his vision finally became clear. There, illuminated by the moon and a thousand stars of the night sky, was Mark, now the King of Icaria. He was kneeling beside him, eyes filled with worries and tears threatening to spill. 

Haechan sat up slowly from where he was lying, he looked around, confused of where he was until he saw the Tower of Ero right behind him. 

He was confused. The last thing that he remembered was that he was at the peak of the tower, and then he was falling. 

'You jumped,' he heard an unfamiliar voice inside his head. He must be going crazy. The loneliness was starting to get to him. 

There was no way that he would survive a fall from that height. He must have fallen asleep and dreamed the entire event.

He was feeling a bit sick for a couple of weeks now and he experienced a lot of fainting spell. 

He realized that he must have been asleep for so long. He remembered coming to the tower just when the sun was rising up and now the sun had set completely. 

He turned his attention back to Mark who touch his cheeks with his hands while staring at him in worry. 

"What happened to you?" Mark softly asked him. 

"I fainted," he answered. 

"Again? It has been happening frequently lately. There must be something wrong. And why are you alone? Wasn't it supposed to be Renjun's duty to always accompany you?"

Renjun was a small omega servant who came from Sayara, an impoverished island outside the western borders of Icaria. He was Haechan's trusted companion, a friend, although the other omega rejected the latter title as he felt he was unworthy to be friends with a royalty. 

"It's not his fault. It was my own wish to come here on my own."

"Why?"

"You know I have always been drawn to the Tower."

Mark sighed. "Do not do things like this again. You worried me."

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I will make sure not to do things that will distract you from your other duties."

"That's not--"

"Your Majesty," Johnny, Mark's loyal knight interrupted, "I am afraid that it's getting a bit too late. It's dangerous for the both of you to be out at this time. We do not know what kind of danger are lurking in the darkness."

Mark was clearly annoyed by the interruption. Still, he sighed again in resignation before carefully guiding Haechan to his feet. 

The King climbed up the stallion's back before carefully pulling Haechan up and wrapping one arm around his waist. 

"Don't you dare fall and get hurt." The King ordered.  
♚♚♚

"So?" Haechan asked the physician expectantly. 

"I apologize, Your Grace." The physician answered, shaking his head. 

Haechan deflated. "It's fine." He sighed. "It's just that I've been feeling nauseatic lately, and been fainting quite frequently. I thought I was... "

"You were just feeling a bit under the weather, Your Grace." The physician supplied. "But worry not. I will prepare a medicine for to make you more fertile."

Haechan nodded. "Okay, I'll trust you." He answered a bit sadly. He was still disappointed that his initial hope had just been crushed down

"I apologize my lady," Renjun, who seemed to notice the shift in his mood, addressed the old Physician. "It seems that the King Consort is really tired, he needs to rest."

The old physician was clearly taken aback by being spoken to by a lowly servant but she held her composure. "Of course," she answered. "I will take my leave then."

He nodded and thanked her once more as he watched Renjun escorted him to the door. 

'Be careful who you trust, my dear.'  
The unfamiliar and mysterious deep voice returned in his head. 

He must really be going crazy.  
♚♚♚

"It's hopeless don't you think?" He asked before taking a sip of the tea that Renjun prepared for him. 

"It's been two year," he continued, "and still, I cannot produce an heir."

"Some people waited for longer, Your Grace." The servant replied. 

"And they are people who are willing to wait, they have the luxury to wait." He answered back. "His Majesty, I don't think he can afford to wait any longer."

Haechan was not stupid. The lords and ladies of the castle are giving the King too much pressure. It wouldn't be long before Mark succumbed to the pressure and find another noble omega who's capable to bear him an heir and cast Haechan aside. 

He shook his head. There would be no use in crying and worrying over something that was bound to happen anyway. He turned his attention to Renjun. 

"And you." He started to divert the topic. "You are the same age as I am. Have you not considered getting a mate yet. With looks like yours, I am pretty sure a lot of men are looking at you way."

Renjun laughed bitterly. "And bear more children into poverty? Noble men look at me and think of me as a one night delight, can be casted away the very next day. The only men who would want to mate with a servant like me were servants as well. We'll just end up passing our status, our poverty and our misery to our children. I do not want that."

"Are you miserable with me?" He asked carefully. Renjun was one of his favorite person in Icaria. It was probably because they have something in common. Renjun like him was an outsider. The smaller omega was from the barren land of Sayara where life was really poor. He told Haechan that when he was thirteen, he willingly boarded a ship to Icaria for a promise of a better life in exchange of servitude. He changed masters and mistresses over time, some of them had not been nice. It was pure luck that a lady he was serving decided to pass him off to the royal family as a gift, hence why he was now at the royal palace assisting Haechan.

Renjun looked up at him, eyes filled with sincerity. "No, Your Grace. You are very kind." Haechan sighed if relief. "You treat people equally. You see them beyond the clothes they wear. Beyond their status. And because of that, I think that you deserve all the love and happiness in this world."

"Thank you," he smiled gratefully. "I wish the same to you."

"Love and happiness is a luxury for us low borns."  
"So it is for us."  
♚♚♚

"I think its time." Haechan said softly. 

Mark hummed in question. His husband was lying above him with his knot still inside of him. His husband was pressing soft kisses on his neck and licking purplish blue marks on his shoulder in post-coital bliss. 

"It's time that you find another wife or husband." He clarified. 

Mark press both of his palm on the mattress of the bed, simultaneously pulling out of him, in favor of glaring at his husband. 

"You did not just suggest that." The King said, putting emphasis on every word. 

"I did."

Mark sighed in annoyance. "Really? When I am in bed with you? When I was still inside of you? After having finished what we just did?"

Haechan closed his eyes. "People are talking. Questioning the validity of our union. And they're right. You need an heir--"

"Fuck them. If we'll have one, we'll have one. If we won't then we won't. "

"Icaria needs one. A prince. A future king. I have a cousin, "

"You are not playing matchmaker for your own husband! " Mark screamed. 

He flinched when he felt his husbands hand touched his throat before it moved sideways tracing the unique scar on his neck. His claim mark. "This, " Mark whispered softly. "This means that you are mine, and that I am yours. Forever. No heir or the absence thereof should ever change that."

"We both know what it really is." He whispered back. "A mark of duty."

He squeezed his eyes shut, not willing to spill his tears. 

Familiar soft lips touched his own, gently, caring and almost loving, He could not hold the sob that escaped his lips. 

He felt his husband rest his forehead against his own. 

"I am lost. I am already so lost." The King said softly. "I do not know what to do. I do love you. I do love you now. But no matter what I say, no matter what I do, no matter how I kiss you, no matter how I touch you, you would never believe me."

"Because it is not the truth."

"I speak the truth. I may have done a lot of things for you to not believe me. I may have hurt you way too much in the past for you to doubt me. Yet, I speak the truth. I speak the truth, my love, I really do love you now. I love you more than I have ever loved before. I will not love anyone else but you. 

"It will probably take time for you to believe me. An eternity, perhaps. But I am willing to wait. So, please. Even if you don't believe me, stay. I will not survive a day without you."


	3. Chapter 3

"I've been feeling a little weird lately." Haechan told the physician. 

"What do you mean, Your Grace?" She inquired. 

"Lately, I've been feeling lonely a lot. And it's not just a simple loneliness. It's the kind that is consuming my entire soul and trying to rip my body apart. It's making me feel weak. The type that makes me want to stay in bed all day. I'm losing my appetite to eat. I'm losing my desire to do things that usually delights me. I just want to lie down in bed and... "

"And what, your grace?"

And die, he thought. He wanted to die sometimes. The thought would come out of the blue once in a while. At first, he associated it with his feeling of unrequited love. But lately, the thought came even when he was not even thinking about Mark. 

One moment, he was standing on the balcony, admiring the rare blue roses that was just blooming, the next moment he would feel the familiar sadness and he would think about throwing himself out to fall on his death. 

Only, everytime it happened, the deep voice inside of him would save him. 

'You don't really want to do that, my child.'

"Your Grace?" the physician tried to get his attention back. 

"I am not sure if your concern is in need of my attention. I believe you are just feeling melancholic. A little homesick perhaps? How long has it been since you've last seen your family?"

It was an unspoken rule that Taeyong should never ever step foot on Icaria, ever again. Jeno had visited once, but the obligations of being the new King after their father stepped down to give way to him had been taking most of his times. His parents, the former King and Queen never really felt like family to be missed. 

He simply nodded at the physician, sensing the annoyance of the lady for being called over trivial matters. Maybe the absence of heir was also affecting the amount of respect that they were willing to give Haechan. "You may be right. I have not seen them in a long time."

"That may have been it, Your Grace."

She placed a bottle on the table beside Haechan's discarded cup of tea. "Here is the medicine for fertility, Your Grace. In no time, there will be little royals running around the palace. Trust me."

With a final bow, she took her leave. 

'Be careful who you trust, my child.' It was the mysterious voice again.  
'Don't drink it.'

Haechan abandoned the medicine in favor of the already cold tea that Renjun prepared for him.  
♚♚♚

"Are you sure you are allowed to be here with me?" He asked Mark. The two of them were strolling on the sunflower garden that was Haechan's second favorite place in Icaria next to the tower of Ero. 

"You are my mate, my love, my other half. I should always be allowed to be with you." Mark brought the hand that he was holding to his lips, eyes staring fondly at his mate. 

"But the Lords--"

"Taeil can handle them." 

"Take pity on the old guy."

Mark chuckled, "Taeil is not that old. He's not even old enough to be my father."

"Still," he hesitated, "he acted like one."

"He did." Mark affirmed. 

Mark was twenty when his parents were lost in the sea. He had already presented as an alpha, yet he was still too young to sit on the throne, it was tradition for most kingdoms that an heir could only ascend to the throne when they are at least at the age of twenty one. Taeil, the Kings smartest and toughest beta knight, Icaria's champion of war, was elected as a regent. He did his part really well along with acting as Mark's father figure. 

"I would not have known what to do without him. I felt so alone."

"I wanted to be with you then," he confessed, referring to the incident of the King's parents' death. "I wanted to come along with Taeyong. But the King then, my father, told me I had no business coming to Icaria. I was just a friend after all."

Mark stopped walking and slowly turned towards him.

"Had they allow you then it's probably you I have fallen in love with from the very beginning. Then we will not be in this situation where you love me and I love you but you don't believe that my feelings are true."

Haechan took a step back before turning away from Mark. He had not yet made a couple of step when he was pulled by the waist. 

"Look around you," Mark said, face buried on his dark brown hair. 

"You see these sunflowers? Do you remember when I told you they always remind me of you because for a winter child, you love the sun so much? I was wrong. I am the sunflower. And you are my sun. I will be chasing you forever. And if you ever disappear, God forbid you disappear, I will surely die. I will not survive without you."  
♚♚♚

Haechan ran to the courtyard followed by Renjun. 

He was ecstatic. After a year of not seeing each other, his brother, King Jeno of the Winter Island of Polaria had finally visited. 

"Jeno!"

The tall figure slowly turned towards his direction, platinum locks dancing in the wind as he moved. Stoic face transformed into serene smile as he opened his arms to receive his brother's embrace. 

"It's been so long! I missed you."

Jeno was his twin brother, his best friend, his sole provider of love in a land so cold that it froze the heart of its people. Taeyong probably loved him as well, but the years of harboring envy and jealousy might have severe their relationship. 

"I am sorry. Being King is a tough job."

"For a second I thought you already found a mate and has forgotten about your dear brother in a far away land who was very much longing for you," he teased. 

"A mate," Jeno laughed humorlessly. "Not happening." The concept of having a mate was something his brother always avoided. He said he would have one if he deemed it's necessary. 

Jeno turned his attention to Renjun who was standing behind Haechan. The omega bowed politely to the alpha king. 

"He is Renjun. He is my trusted companion." Haechan introduce the other omega. 

Jeno turned his attention back to him. "You mean your servant?"

"My friend, " Haechan insisted. 

Jeno turned back his attention to the omega who was hanging his head low in shame. 

"Look at me, " the alpha order. 

Haechan could sense the effect of his brother towards the other omega. He subtly tried to nudge his brother to stop him from scrutinizing Renjun, but to no avail. 

The other omega gulped loudly but he complied and looked up at the King of Polaria. 

"You do not look very Icarian," his brother said, pointing out Renjun's light brown hair in contrast of Icarians usual dark and almost black hair. "Where are from?"

"From Sayara, Your Majesty." Renjun answered with shaking voice. 

"The barren land?" Renjun nodded. "You are an outsider. An outsider was entrusted with my brother's care, " Jeno said, appalled for no reason. 

He could somehow understand why Jeno was sceptical about the other omega. Four years ago, when his husband and brother were still not kings yet but a crowned princes of their respective nations, they, along with other representatives of their allied countries had driven of the Pandoran forces occupying the land of Sayara. Still, there were few Sayarans who became Pandor loyalist. But according to Renjun, he had left Sayara long before the events had taken place.

"You will stop now, King Jeno of the North." He said, raising his voice at his brother for the first time. "As the King Consort of this land, I will not tolerate you treating my people like that. "

Jeno took a deep breathe to calm himself before turning his stoic face at the servant omega, again. "Leave us. I will talk to the King Consort in private."

Renjun hesitantly turned to the King Consort, waiting for orders. 

"You can leave, Renjun. After all, this asshole right here is my twin brother. I will be fine."

When the other omega bowed his head and finally took his leave, Haechan took it upon himself to menacingly glare at his brother. 

"How did you go from missing me to suddenly hating me?"

Haechan still refused to look at his brother out of spite. The two of them were at the dining room, seated across each other feasting on a banquet that the royal cook prepared to welcome the allied King. Well, only Jeno was eating. 

"I can't believe that in just a few years of not seeing each other, you magically turned from being the sweetest person into a stuck up noble. Do you really have to make Renjun feel bad over him being low born? I thought you were above that!"

Jeno dropped his spoon and fork. "It wasn't my intention. I was just appalled that Mark would entrust you with an outsider."

His husband and his brother had never really gotten along. According to what Haechan knew, their ideals always clash. Especially during battles. During the battle of Sayara, had it not been for the knights that were holding the two back then, they would have plunged their swords into each other's heart. 

"what are the chances that he is a spy planted by--"

"Renjun is not a spy, " Haechan interrupted him with certainty. 

"You don't know that!"

"I do, he is my friend." He insisted.

Jeno closed his eyes took a sharp intake of breath to calm himself. 

"Fine, " Jeno said resignly. "Let's not argue over a person like him."

"A person like what, Jeno?"

The King of Polaria looked like there was something he had to say but decided against it. 

"Okay. I'm sorry. If you want me to apologize to your servant--"

"My friend."

"Your friend, " Jeno corrected himself. "If you want me to apologize to your friend, I will. I will be returning to Polaria soon and will probably not see you again for a long time. Let's not waste anymore time arguing. "

Haechan wanted to be petty and say that it was Jeno's fault, but decided against it. His brother was right. Moments like this were rare and should not be wasted on arguments. 

"Now, " Jeno said, diverting the topic. "How are you and where is that husband of yours?"

"There were some problems on the western borders that he needed to address. But he will be back here in a while to properly greet you."

There was a long pause. 

"Has he been treating you nicely?"

"He does," Haechan affirmed. "He may not love me but --"

"Listen, Haechan." His brother interrupted him. "There is something about your husband that I needed to tell you."  
♚♚♚

"Mark had always suspected that his parents did not die in ocean, " Haechan recalled his brother's words. "They were killed. Most probably by people of Pandor who has been their sworn enemy for so long. "

"When you were sent to Icaria to replace Taeyong, I was so worried. I know how you feel about him, and I do not want you to stay in a marriage where you will not be loved. You do not deserve that. So,I sent a messenger to Icaria behind the King's back. I offered him another option. To show Polaria's loyalty to Icaria, I, the Crowned Prince of Polaria will find out the truth about his parents death and deliver justice on his behalf. With one condition, he has to send you back. He rejected me then. I thought it was because I was just a prince, there was no bearing to my words."

"Last year, when I became the king, I tried again. Because I refuse to give up. I refuse to let you live a life full of unhappiness. And Mark told, right to my face, to go fuck myself, and that he will try to find the truth about his parent's death on his own. That he doesn't need help if it comes with the cost of losing his one true love."

"I am not asking you to believe him. I also find it hard to do so. You know I never really liked him. But, I do feel like this is something you need to know. There are a lot of secrets I am keeping from you and this should not be one of those."

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Renjun placed a cup of tea in front of him. 

When Mark arrived, Haechan retreated to his chamber in order to leave the two Kings to their own business and to ponder on what his brother had just told him. 

"You seemed to be in deep thoughts, Your Grace." Renjun observed. "The kind of thoughts that can be settle by a long walk."

"It's too late in the night to take a walk outside, " he replied albeit longingly looking outside. "It would be dangerous to be on my own. "

"I will go with you, " the other omega proposed. 

Haechan shook his head. "Mark will scold you."

"But it would make you feel better to go outside, right? To the Tower of Ero. " when Renjun saw the King Consort hesitating, he quickly added. "We are friends. Friends make sacrifices for each other. What's a few minutes of scolding if my friend would feel better in return. "  
♚♚♚

"I haven't apologized yet, " Haechan said. They were both sitting on the wet grass, Tower of Ero standing proudly behind him. 

"For what, Your Grace? " Renjun asked him in return. 

"For my brother's behavior. " 

"You do not need to. I am but a servant. What he said was true. "

"Still, " he insisted. "He should not have treated you that way. You've been really kind to me. Without you, I do not know if I would have survived the loneliness of being in a very unfamiliar place. You are very dear to. "

It took a few moments before Renjun could reply, willing himself to not choke up in tears. 

"You are very kind, Your grace. Even to people who do not deserve your kindness at all. "


	4. Chapter 4

Haechan's eyes were slowly getting blurry as he stared at the person in front of him. 

"I am not a person worthy of your trust, your grace." Renjun said to him. "I've been trying to kill you for so long. "

The other omega kneeled in front of him, he could not make out his expression because of his hazy vision. 

"But you were so... so hard to kill. "

What he could not see, he could hear. Guilt was evident in the other omega's voice. 

"You treated me in ways I have never been treated before. You treated me like a human. Not a dog. Not a tool. A human. A friend moreover. It was so hard to let you go. "

Renjun began sobbing and Haechan felt himself slowly succumbing to sleep. 

"So I decided to poison you. Not your body but your spirit. The tea. The tea is the reason why you always feel lonely. I wanted you to kill yourself. To finish the job for me because I cannot do it. "

"But you were taking so long. I am running out of time."

"Renjun, " he softly called for the omega. 

"Ssh, " the other omega moved forward to hug him. "I am here. Do not be scared. Sleep. Sleep so you will not feel anything when I kill you."

He leaned forward to the other omega as he lose all the remaining strength in his body. 

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. "

It was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.  
♚♚♚

"For the last time, do not interfere. It is written in my books that his time on Earth is already done." An unfamiliar voice roused him from sleep. 

"And for the last time, you are the one interfering with mine." The deep voice that had been haunting his head answered back. "Speaking of interference, I am still not over what you did in the past. Remember how you pushed Icaria to the ground and separated me from my lover? "

"Oh, for Ouranos sake! That was centuries ago! "

Are they talking about the legend of Icaria? Haechan thought. Is it possible that the owner of the deep voice is actually... 

"The goddess?" Haechan whispered. 

There were loud snickering from around him. Haechan blinked slowly before his vision slowly cleared. 

He was greeted by four unfamiliar faces watching him as they sat around him. He was lying on a very soft ground inside a very white room. One of them, a tall person with a very beautiful face and light rosy hair on his right reached out for Haechan's hand and pull him to a sitting position. 

"Yes, I am 'the goddess', " the person said and flashed him a forced smile. "I can't believe the mortals failed to get my gender right but managed to get Kun's title right. He's not even the main character."

"You aren't, either," the person beside 'the goddess' said. He also had a rosy hair, just a bit darker than that of 'the goddess'. " It was the Icarian mortal. What was his name again? Yu--"

"Ssh, " the person on Haechan's left interrupted. "The mortal does not need to know more. It will have an effect not only on his own destiny but on those people around him. " His silky blonde hair reminded him of Polarians. 

"You mean it would mess up your job, right, Kun, " the person beside that someone whom Haechan presumed to be Kun said .His hair was as blue as the night sky. 

"Where am I?" He asked. 

"You are in Ouranos. Heaven if you prefer. " the person beside 'the goddess' said. "Welcome, it's rare for us to have mortals in our land."

Memories of his encounter with Renjun flashed inside his mind until realization hit him. "Am I dead? "

"Supposed to be, " Kun rolled his eyes. 

"Supposes to be not! " 'the goddess' argued stubbornly. 

"If I am not yet dead, then why am I here? Am I dreaming? Who are you?"

"I wish I am dreaming," Kun answered him, rolling his eyes again. 

"We are, what you earthlings call gods," the person beside 'the goddess' answered. "But no need to bow, we are just lesser gods. Unless of course you meet Infinity, which is impossible. I haven't even met him.

"You probably already know Kun, the God of Fate and Destiny, and Sicheng, the goddess, oh, sorry, the God of Love and Beauty. That person with blue hair is Doyoung, the God of Wisdom and Integrity. And I, I am Jaemin, the God of Truth and Faithfulness."

"Should we be giving him this much information?" Kun asked. 

"Sorry, but you know that I can only speak the truth." Jaemin answered. 

"To answer your other question, " Doyoung interrupted the conversation. "We are actually waiting for the judgement of the Goddess of Justice and Equality. She will determine whether you should be send back to Earth or to the Stream of Soul, to stay there forever or to be reincarnated."

"Speaking of," Sicheng pointed at the person floating towards him. He was wearing a winged slipper that enabled him to float on air. "Here comes the messenger, Yangyang."

The person, or probably another God, landed with grace in front of Haechan. He looked at the four Gods before smiling. "I have spoken to Irene, the goddess of justice and equality. He lives."

Sicheng and Jaemin cheered loudly, Doyoung smiled a little, while Kun sighed in defeat. 

"Go ahead and send him back." Kun said dejectedly. A book and a pen suddenly materialized from air and he started scribbling. 

Yangyang reached for Haechan but was interrupted by Sicheng. 

"Wait! I need to tell him something." Sicheng bowed a little to whisper in Haechan's ears. "You have always been my favorite. When you were born, I knew that you would be one of a kind. You are too pure for the mortal world which is filled with too much evil. I had to protect you. I made you beautiful, but only the right people could see it, so that you would be spared from the eyes of those with impure intentions. It may have given you a tough life, but in the end, you are surrounded by the people who truly loves you."

"You do not see it, yet, because the past made it impossible for you to love yourself. That is your flaw. It is so easy for you to love others but you refused to do the same for yourself. But I hope that someday you will. 

"You are like a child to me." Sicheng caressed his hair. Haechan had to hold back his tears. Never had he experienced parental love before. "Now, stay away from that old tower! That's centuries old. I may not be able to save you the third time."

Haechan was not sure if he was allowed to hug a God, but he did anyway. "Thank you. For saving my life. For everything."

"I hate to break your moment but we really need to go." Yangyang announced.  
♚♚♚

"Is this really the way back home? " Haechan asked. Yangyang was carrying him on his back as they float through clouds. 

"We are taking a bit of a detour. Ah there it is!" Yangyang exclaimed. 

High above the clouds was a house made of glass. The door magically opened for the two of them. 

Inside was a huge mirror, and after climbing down from Yangyang's back, he was lead by the latter to walk closer to it. 

"I may be punished by the others for leading you here, but I don't really care." Yangyang said. "This is the Mirror of Time and Space. It will enable you to see the past and future."

Yangyang waved his hand in front of the mirror and images started to form. 

It was on the vast ground near the tower where Haechan had supposedly died. 

Renjun was being held down by the royal guards, a small dagger discarded to the ground. In front of him was a very furious Jeno pointing a sword directly at his throat. 

Mark was there. He was kneeling beside Haechan's body. The image moved so that only him and Mark could be seen. 

Mark was crying. Tear were pouring out of his eyes continuously. He could not hear him but he was sobbing. The brave King of Icaria was sobbing like child. 

"The pain of losing a part of yourself is a really an unfortunate feeling. It tears you up from the inside and nothing can patch the wounds up."

"One would not feel that kind of pain for losing someone they do not love. One would not cry like that for someone they do not love. Do you still have doubts?"

The images changed to that of when they were young. Haechan remembered that moment. All of the other noble kids went to watch the annual presentation of the magicians of Polaria where they transformed ice into moving sculptures of animals and mythical being. Jeno and Taeyong had to be there. Haechan was supposed to be there but it was also during one of Polaria's most unbearable cold night. He became unwell. Yet Mark, even thought it was his only opportunity to witness such event, decided to stay with him. He held Haechan's hand as the latter cried all night. 

"You mortals are sometimes stupid. You confuses admiration for love and love for friendship and brotherhood. He may not have known it yet then, but he has been in love for you for too long. Do you want more?"

The image shifted again, this time, they were inside their chamber in the royal castle of Icaria.

Haechan was sleeping soundly on his side of the bed. Mark was beside him sitting up. His husband was staring at him. A hand suddenly reached out to touch Haechan's hair, softly so he would not wake up. The hand went to his cheeks, caressing it. Finally, his husband moved to lean closer to him. His lips landed on Haechan's forehead, then to his eyes, his cheek, his nose and finally to his own lips where it stayed longer. 

"You always think that you're husband is just lying to you. Look at that. Who was he trying to fool? The darkness of the night?"

He was blinded. He was blinded by jealousy. He was blinded by his own insecurities. He was blinded by the lies that people had told him in the past about him being unworthy of anyone, being unworthy of love. He was so blinded that no matter what his husband did to show him how real his feelings were, he refused to see them. 

"I want to return to him now," he turned to Yangyang. 

Yangyang sighed happily. "I'm glad the mirror worked. Honestly, I am already loosing hope for my brother."

"Your brother?" Haechan asked. Was he referring to Mark? 

"He's not really my brother but my father kind of adopted him." Yangyang explained. "You mortals have no idea what we are capable of doing when you earn our favor. Some abandoned immortality completely, some became parental figure, some oops-- I spend too much time with Jaemin. Now, return you said?"

Haechan nodded.

"That's easy. All you have to do is close your eyes."  
♚♚♚

"Haechan," a familiar voice whispered beside him. "My love."

Haechan blinked before his eyes cleared. They focused on Mark, who was sitting on the chair beside the bed that he was lying on. 

Marks concerned expression melted into relief. "You came back."

"I did," he rasped. 

"You have no idea how scared I was. I have never felt fear with such intensity before. Not even when I was battling Pandoran warriors invading Sayara. I was so scared to lose you." Mark placed the hand that he had been holding to his lips. 

"I'm sorry."

"You should be. You shall never leave me alone. Not today, not tomorrow, not forever. You still don't even know how much I love you."

"I do." He answered back, squeezing his husband's hand. "I do know now how much you love me. And, I love you, too. I have always loved you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't see anymore reasons to hold the last chapter. Ch 4 was supposed to be the end, but I wanted to show some sort of resolution, hence, the short chapter 5. This was finish weeks ago so I can't anymore put in requests.
> 
> I had no idea that people would love this! Thank you so much!

"You have no idea where I had been and who I had meet."

"Where and who, my love."

"In heaven. I met 'the goddess' and your brother."

"What a very weird dream you had. I do not have a brother. I am an only child."

"You thought."

Haechan was initially doubtful whether the events in heaven were real or fragments of his imagination. It had felt too real. And somehow, the experience had managed to show him the shining white light that was surrounding Taeil. 

'Were you always glowing?' He asked the beta. 

The beta looked confused for a moment before his face brightened in realization. 'I see, you have been there.'

Real or not, the event brought a lot of changes in him.

The two of them were seating near the Pond of Iris. It was so clear that Haechan could see his reflection on the water. 

"You look beautiful, " his husband complimented him. 

He was not light-skinned like Taeyong and all of the other Polarians. He was not blessed with silky platinum locks like his parents and siblings. He was different. 

Haechan finally knew that difference is not ugly and just because other people believes that looking different would make one undesirable and unlovable does not make it the truth. 

He was beautiful. He was desired. He was loved. 

"Thank you, my King. " Mark looked taken aback by the absence of the usual denial. 

"I like it when you do not shy away from compliments." Mark smiled sincerely. He was hugged from behind and he leaned on the King's chest. His husband inhaled deeply before sighing. 

"I still feel regretful over being careless. I should have know better than to surround you with the wrong people."

It turned out that both the Physician and Renjun were trying to kill him. The medicine that the Physician prepared would have surely killed him instantly had he decided to drink it. 

The thing that Renjun had put in his tea on that day was not poison but something that had slowly weakened him until he fell asleep. Renjun wanted to kill him with his dagger, which confused him because, why should he complicate things? Poison would have been easier. But then, the guards, along with Mark and Jeno came so he failed. 

According to Mark, the physician has already been 'dealt with', a phrase that his husband refused to elaborate, while Renjun was taken by Jeno to Polaria for further questioning. 

"I feel bad for him," he said sadly.

It had taken him a lot to finally accept that Renjun indeed betrayed him. Still, even if he could not make out where the truth ends and where the lies start, he knew that amidst it all, the other omega genuinely cared for him.

He had initially asked to get the other omega back. He knew his brother. Even though he had been the sweetest and nicest person to him, the years of training under their father for when he would finally become the King had made him a ruthless adversary. His brother would kill with no hesitation if he deemed it the right thing to do. 

Mark had refused.

'He was so dear to you. Despite everything, he is still dear to you. Yet, I cannot forgive him for almost taking your life away. I'm afraid that whatever Jeno will do to him, I will do as well. But I do not want to paint an ugly picture of myself to you, not when we are just starting a new. So I am being a coward. I will pass it on to Jeno while I concentrate on making you feel loved all the more."

"You love way too much, " his husband place kisses on top of his head. "You love people even when they deserved not to be."

"Everybody deserves to be loved."

"Even people who hurt others?"

Haechan recalled the people who have hurted him in the past. The King and Queen who never treated him like a child and never spared him a glance unless he needed to be scolded for being a much more failure than what they already deemed he was. 

He recalled the servants who gossiped and mocked his appearance when they thought he could not hear them. 

He recalled the children who refused to play with him because he was different. He recalled when they lure him into the pretense of friendship only to be left alone in the cold unfamiliar part of Polaria to find his way back home. 

They did wrong. Maybe Haechan would never be able to completely forgive them. Still he believed that somewhere out there, there should be people who would be willing to accept them flaws and all, and in the process, allow them to see things better and change. 

"Yes, even them." He affirmed. 

"I did hurt you before. When I failed to see that you are the one for me." Mark nuzzled his hair in silent apology. 

"It was in the past. You love me now." He said with certainty. He pushes himself away from his husband so that he could turn o face him. 

"I do love you. Now. Tomorrow. Forever."

He leaned forward to his husband, the alpha did the same, their eyes never leaving each other.

Finally, when their lips touched did Haechan allowed himself to close his eyes and lose himself into the feeling. 

It was soft, gentle, uncharacteristic for people who had been married for two years. But the two of them were starting over again. The sad memories were not completely erased but pushed back to allow new and beautiful ones to grow. 

The kiss represented everything that was Mark. Soft. Gentle. Loving. Comforting. Reassuring.

Some people needed to build towers and wait for decades to find love only to be left heart broken. 

Haechan felt lucky, that amidst it all, it had only taken him years of yearning, an almost death, divine intervention, and opening his eyes and heart to see things clearer and he was able to finally make himself whole. 

It took so long for Mark to find him and it took so long for him to realize that he has been found. But the years didn't matter. Not at all. They finally found each other and they were not willing to ever let each other go.

**Author's Note:**

> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/Rainy_Summer)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Incumbency (A Damage Control Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21077663) by [sakerattminnas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakerattminnas/pseuds/sakerattminnas)


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